Theme: RAINCOATS (61. Wet-weather gear, and what this puzzle's circled letters literally are?) - RAIN is broken up in three different ways.
17. Major annoyance: ROYAL PAIN.
29. Utter destruction: RACK AND RUIN.
45. Train depot: RAIL STATION.
Boomer here.
Not much RAIN is predicted here this fall. We hope it stays true for snow predictions.
This Thursday I will make it to three quarters of a
century. I think we might celebrate at a casino, and the shysters
better let me win. Thanks to all for the many cards. I got older just reading them all.
Across:
1. Thumbs-down votes: NAYS. Lots of campaign ads on TV. I dislike them- three weeks to go.
5. "Save me a __!": SEAT. On a golf cart.
9. Laundry day challenge: STAIN.
14. Soil-turning farm machine: PLOW. Did I mention SNOW. It's coming, we already had an inch or two. Not enough to PLOW.
15. Approximation words: OR SO.
16. Supermodel Klum: HEIDI.
19. Dangerous household gas: RADON.
20. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.
21. "Everything must go" event: FIRE SALE. This is a misnomer. The store did not have a FIRE. They have too much inventory.
23. ABC News anchor David: MUIR.
25. Amazement: AWE.
26. Kiss __: PDA capturer at a stadium: CAM.
35. "Clueless" actress Donovan: ELISA.
37. Mailed holiday greeting: CARD. About ten weeks away.
38. Lhasa __: APSO.
39. Shower bar: SOAP. Creamy shampoo works also.
40. Sudden raid: FORAY.
41. Nincompoop: DOLT. Don't call me names!
42. "Alas, whatever shall I do?": AH ME.
43. Thick slice: SLAB. Ham is good.
44. Ed of "Elf": ASNER. A favorite on the Mary Tyler Moore show (From Minneapolis).
48. WNW's opposite: ESE. East is East and West is West.
49. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO. C.C. calla me LAO Gong.
50. Performing __: ARTS.
52. Slow-cooked meat at a luau: ROAST PIG. Maybe for New Years Day - Not Thanksgiving.
57. "We __ please": AIM TO. You Aim too please. Sign in the men's bathroom.
60. Diplomatic agent: ENVOY.
64. Scrub with steel wool, say: SCOUR. Brillo.
65. On pins and needles: AGOG.
66. "Let's go!": C'MON.
67. Camp shelters: TENTS. I slept in one at bivouac.
68. Rational: SANE. Yes I am. Really!
69. On an even __: steady: KEEL.
Down:
2. "That's __ to ask": A LOT.
3. Toy that exercises the wrist: YO-YO. I have owned many. Fun to play. Right now it's an adjective for the stock market.
4. Bees on the move: SWARM.
5. "The Golden Girls" character born in Sicily: SOPHIA. Many reruns on cable.
6. Chapter in history: ERA. Pitcher's stat.
7. "In your dreams!": AS IF.
8. "Song of Solomon" novelist Morrison: TONI.
9. Canny: SHREWD.
10. Product promos with few details: TEASER ADS. Not like the election ads.
11. Verdi opera set in ancient Egypt: AIDA.
12. Adored one: IDOL. Aaron Judge.
13. Highest sudoku digit: NINE. Easy clue. I play these squares a lot.
18. "Marriage Story" Oscar winner Dern: LAURA. Tommy loved her but his car flipped and he died.
22. Country star Travis: RANDY.
24. Pioneer in canned soft drinks: RC COLA. It never took the place of Pepsi or Coke.
26. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.
27. Greeting at a luau: ALOHA.
28. South Beach city: MIAMI. Vikings took a win out of there last week.
30. Gold unit: KARAT. I think 24 is pure,
31. Saudi __: ARABIA.
32. Winning by a very small margin: UP ONE. MLB playoffs are getting there,
33. The Hebrides, e.g.: ISLES. Mary Tyler Moore jogged around our Lake of the Isles.
34. __ Dame: South Bend school: NOTRE.
36. Explains in great detail: SPELLS OUT. Car dealers never do.
40. Photographer's setting that affects depth: F STOP.
44. Bit of silliness: ANTIC.
46. Mythical man-goats: SATYRS.
47. Marmalade fruit: ORANGE. Great all by itself.
51. Garb for a finger-painting project, say: SMOCK. I never wore one.
52. Take five: REST. I usually take a lot more than five.
53. __ in a while: ONCE. Upon a time.
54. Stratford-upon-__: AVON. My mother used to sell this stuff at parties.
55. Some savings plans, briefly: IRAS. We have one of these.
56. Pop star Lady __: GAGA.
58. Gentle: TAME.
59. Nebraska native: OTOE. I have never heard of this slang.
62. Charged particle: ION.
63. "Weekend Update" show, for short: SNL. Usually I am sleeping when this comes on .
Boomer
Notes from C.C.:
Happy 78th birthday to Uncle Fred, an avid Packers fan! Fred is based in Fort Lauderdale. Sorry your Packers lost again, but Boomer is happy.
